Improvement in thief and robber traps



` INVENTIB Z @JLM ATTORNEYS.

W. LWHARTON. THIEF AND RUBBER TRAPS.

N0. 193,790. Patented 31115131, 1877.

WITNESSES NFErERS. PNOTaLlTHOGRAPNER. WASHXNGTN. D C4 fr OFFICE.

WILLIAM E. WHARTON, OF LAWSON, MISSOURI.

IMPROVEMENT IN THIEF AND ROBBER TRAPS.

Speciiication forming part of Letters Patent No. l 93,79 0, dated July 31, 1877 application filed August 10, 1875.

To all whom it may concer/n Be it known that I, WM. E. WHAR'roN, of Lawson., in the county of Ray and. State of Missouri, have invented a new and Improved Thief and Robber Trap; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and eX- act description of the same.

The object of my invention is to provide for use in banks, stores, &c., a thief` or robber trap, so constructed that it may be tripped by the cashier, proprietor, clerk, or other person stationed behind the counter, or in any other convenient place, and thereby precipitate the thief or burglar into the cellar or apartment below.

Referring to accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a cross-section of my improved trap Fig. 2, a longitudinal section 5 and Fig. 3, an inverted plan View.

The tilting sections A A constitute that part of the door of a banking-room. which is in front of the counter B.

Each section A is pivoted on a cross-rod, a, and provided with a counterbalance-weight, b. The inner or adjacent ends of the sections are supported by the long horizontally-placed levers G C, which are pivoted to the floor at d, and whose free ends work in guides e, and are provided with friction-rollers f.

`When the levers are in the position shown in full lines, Fig. 3, the sections A rest on the rollersf, and are hence fixed or immovable.

The levers are held in that position by means of toggle-arms E and a brace, F, Fig. 2, which is pivoted to the oor beneath the counter B, and whose free end engages a pin or stud, g, projecting from the jointJ of the toggle-arms.

It is obvious that if the brace F were Withdrawn or turned aside the toggle-arms E, having no longer a support, would allow the levers C to spread apart, and thus in turn allow the sections A to tilt on their pivot-rods a.

As a means for tripping the brace F, I elnploy a weighted cord, H, which is divided into two parts, h h', one, h, being attached to the toggle-joint, the other to the brace, Fig. 2. A knot, i, is formed in the part h, for the purpose of preventing the same drawing through the notch or open slot in the end of the tripper I. The latter is a metal plate or bar pivoted to the door beneath the counter B.

Itwill be seen that when the tripper I is turned to one side the knot t Will bevdrawn out of the notch in the end thoreot', and the Weight attached to the lower end of cord H thereby allowed to fall and. trip the brace F, and also draw down the toggle-arms, thereby forcing asunder the levers C O. As a consequence of' thus removing the support of the levers C from the sections A A, they will tilt and precipitate any one standing thereon into the cellar or apartment below. It is hence within the power of the cashier, clerk, or other person having access to the tripper I, to tilt the sections A whenever a robber has gained access tothe bank or store, and thus precipitate him into a place oi' secure confinement Witl1 out incurring the danger of personal encounter and injury.

It is obvious that the tripper I might be operated by means of a cord leading to any other room or part of the building.

What I claim isl. In combination with the tilting floor-sections, the pivoted levers and toggle-arms, said levers being arranged horizontally and parallel to the sections, and supporting the adja-` cent free ends of the latter, substantially as shown and described.

2. In combination with the levers for supporting the floor-sections and the toggle-arms, the pivoted brace and trip-cord, substantially as described.

3. In combination with the toggle-arms, pivoted brace-levers G, and tilting floor-sections, the notched tripper and knotted weighted cord, substantially as shown and described.

WILLIAM E. WHARTON.

Witnesses: j

J. PORTER CUMMJNGS, JOHN HURT. 

